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„Nothing defines a culture as distinctly as its language, and the element of language that best encapsulates a society’s values and beliefs is its proverbs” As a continuation of „You know you’re Hungarian when…” we collected 20 of humorous sayings, wise proverbs and inspiring quotes of Hungary.

Every culture has a collection of wise sayings that offer advice about how to live your life. They have been handed down by word of mouth from generation to generation , until were recorded and became a folklore treasure. Many traditional sayings are still in general use today.

Proverbs are pearls of wisdom that condense good thoughts, morals and habits of long time into short, crisp sentences. Knowledge of proverbs is necessary for perfect knowledge of a language. The expressions and sayings listed here will hopefully bring a smile to your face.

Még a falnak is füle van. English: Even walls have ears. Meaning: what you say may be overheard; used as a warning.

A hazug embert hamarabb utolérik, mint a sánta kutyát. English: They catch up with a liar sooner than with a limping dog. Meaning: your lies will come to light sooner than you think.

Nem esik messze az alma a fájától. English: The apple falls close to its tree. Meaning: children often follow the example of their parents in their behaviour.

Nincsen rózsa tövis nélkül. English: There is no rose without thorns. Meaning: nothing is perfect.

Ki mint vet, úgy arat. English: They way you sow is the way your reap. Meaning: you will get what you deserve.

Sok kicsi sokra megy. English: Lots of small will amount to a lot. Meaning: many small things can add up a big one.

Addig jár a korsó a kútra, míg el nem törik. English: A mug keeps going to the well until it breaks eventually. Meaning: if you constantly take the risk, you will finally be in trouble.

Aki a kicsit nem becsüli a nagyot nem érdemli English: Who doesn’t appreciate the litte does not deserve the big. Meaning: if you don’t cherish the little, you don’t deserve the more.

Very interesting! However, some of these are also standard in English (I counted 8~9) and only half is a typical “Hungarian proverb”. I suspect the rest is international. 🙂 Vagyis- Ennek c. fele közhely az angolban is (valószínû nemzetközi). Csak fele tipikus “magyar közmondás”. Persze mind a huszat mondjuk és halljuk.